Studying Lōʻihi gives scientists insight into other Hawaiian volcanoes

Rock samples are collected at Lōʻihi Seamount in this undated image courtesy of Brian Glazer (UH Dept of Oceanography) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Special to West Hawaii Today.

The Lōʻihi Seamount, whose summit lies some 3,200 feet beneath the waves nearly 22 miles southeast of Ka‘u, was only discovered in 1952 when a flurry of earthquakes drew scientists’ attention offshore. The earliest known mention of Loihi was on bathymetric charts in 1940. It was given its Hawaiian name, which means “to extend, to be long,” in 1954 by Mary Pukui and Marha Hohuhe of Bishop Museum following an ocean floor survey, but no one seemed to give the underwater mound much thought until 1978, when, after a series of earthquakes, scientists were reminded of its presence and mounted a dredging expedition to explore more about what they thought was faulting under the sea. When the expedition turned up relatively new pillow lava, scientists knew they had something special.

“What distinguishes Lōʻihi from other seamounts in the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain around the Hawaiian Islands is that all the others are dead. Lōʻihi is capable of erupting, and therefore actually a young, emerging Hawaiian volcano, said Geology and Geophysics (G&G) professor of volcanology and Lōʻihi geology expert, Michael Garcia.

Read more about it in West Hawaii Today.